ICC President Akane Warns on Rule of Law After US Sanctions Target Her

The US sanctioned the ICC's president and a trial lawyer, prompting Akane to warn against the 'demise of international rule of law.'

The United States sanctioned the sitting president of the International Criminal Court — a sitting judge of a multilateral legal institution — as part of the Trump administration's escalating pressure campaign against the court. Secretary of State Marco Rubio targeted ICC President Tomoko Akane of Japan and trial lawyer Abdoulaye Seye of Senegal on Tuesday, with the sanctions announced earlier this week drawing a public response from Akane by Friday. Akane issued a formal warning against what she called 'the demise of international rule of law,' one of the most direct rebukes yet from an ICC official in response to US pressure. Seye had been involved in investigating alleged Israeli war crimes in Gaza, a case that has drawn fierce opposition from Washington and Tel Aviv. The Trump administration has previously sanctioned ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan and other court officials, and earlier this year issued an executive order threatening action against the court. The ICC, based in The Hague, prosecutes individuals for genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity, and the US — which has never ratified the Rome Statute — has long maintained a contentious relationship with the institution.

Why it matters

Sanctioning the ICC's own president is an unprecedented escalation that directly challenges the independence of the primary international body tasked with prosecuting the world's gravest crimes. The move affects not only the court's operations but also the diplomatic relationships of US allies whose nationals serve on the ICC.

What's next

It remains to be seen whether US allies — including Japan, whose national Akane leads the court — will formally protest the sanctions or adjust their cooperation with ICC proceedings.

Key facts

Bias & framing notes

The Guardian's headline and reporting emphasized Seye's role investigating Israeli war crimes in Gaza, framing the sanctions prominently in that context. Japan Today focused more on Akane's response and the rule-of-law dimension. Both sources agree on the core facts — the identities sanctioned and Akane's statement — but differ in which angle they foreground. Neither source gave substantial space to the US government's stated rationale for the sanctions.

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